“It is quite all right, Lady Brewster. I am sure that I shall be charmed to have your company all to myself this evening,” he answered politely, unable to shake the fresh image of Lily in herwhite gown from his mind. She looked so radiant to him, as if she had been emitting a soft light.
He lifted his gaze to the small group ahead, where his mother and sister were chatting away to Lily as they entered the dining room.
“Are you charmed, my lord?” Lady Brewster drew his attention to the side.
The question struck him as odd, but Julian pushed the notion aside. “Of course, why would I not be with such lovely ladies keeping me company?” He held back slightly when they reached the doors, allowing Lady Brewster to enter ahead of him.
The inside of the dining room was lavishly decorated in the French style with vases of white roses lining the walls on every table. A single long table stood in the center with solid oak chairs and candelabras that had been placed on a white linen cloth. Each place setting had been meticulously placed with expert precision.
“You come and sit here beside me, my lord.” Lady Brewster gestured to the chair to the right of hers at the head of the table, where she sat.
Taking his place as footmen entered to help the ladies into their seats, Julian noticed that he was seated directly across from Lily with his sister to her left. His mother sat to his left with Lily’s mother beside his sister.
“You may bring in the first course, Carstens,” Lady Brewster signaled to the butler, who bowed and began to usher in the rest of the footmen with trays.
Tureens were carried in, and rich artichoke soup was carefully ladled into their bowls.
Julian enjoyed the hearty flavor of the thick green soup, but his attention was quickly drawn across the table to Lily, who was laughing at something his sister had said.
“I do not believe you, Miss Sinclair,” Lily laughed easily as she turned to Juliette. “You cannot possibly have responded in such a manner.”
Juliette reached for her glass of wine and carefully took a sip. “I most certainly did. I told him, Lord Nash, you will have to wait your turn. It does not matter whether you outrank the other men on my dance card or not; priority dictates that you wait.”
Lily laughed again before elegantly ladling a spoonful of soup into her mouth.
“I hope you did so respectfully,” Julian interjected sharply as he narrowed his eyes at his sister.
Looking up, both Lily and Juliette glanced at him.
“Of course, one should always remain respectful,” Juliette said after another sip of her wine. “Even when the man is acting like a boar.”
Lily spluttered slightly as she sat back and dabbed at the corners of her mouth with her napkin. Reaching for her wine, she took a sip before demurely smiling at Julian. “Do you not like boars, my lord?” She asked with the hint of a smile teasing her lips.
Cocking his head to the side, Julian observed her closely before answering in an even tone. “That depends, Miss Prescott, to which kind of boar are you referring?”
Juliette giggled again until her mother shot her a warning glance.
Without skipping a beat, Lily looked him dead in the eyes. “The roasted kind, of course, my lord. I am quite partial to meat, are you not?” She raised an eyebrow.
Feeling his breath catch at the joke, Julian gave an unexpected smile. “I certainly am fond of roasted meats, Miss Prescott.” Their eyes lingered on each other for a moment as Juliette lost her composure and began to laugh.
Their mother sighed while shaking her head in disapproval. “How we shall ever find you a husband, I do not know,” she remarked, prompting Lily to laugh.
The table was soon engulfed in a fit of giggles as Julian sat back and watched the scene unfold. Lily had been serious when they had first met that evening of the dance, yet he now saw a different side to her that intrigued him. She was open, free-spirited, and joyful. Her laughter was light while her smile brought a freshness to the moment.
She had been under a lot of stress at the ball with everyone talking about her, yet she had not allowed that to keep her down. Such strength of character was admirable to Julian, and he found himself wondering about the rest of her hidden attributes.
Did she like painting as much as she admired looking at art? Did she care for walks along the beach, or did she prefer to stay at home where it was warm and safe? All of the questions pulled him in as he began to think of his own troubles with the estate and finances.
Lady Brewster had confirmed that Lily was unattached, but did that mean she would be agreeable when it came to marriage? Could she be the one to help him restore the estate to its rightful state?
The thought made something in his chest clench as she watched her closely. Every graceful move and well-placed comment. She was certainly shaping up to be a curious and intriguing option indeed.
Chapter 10
Lily’s mother and aunt were already seated at the breakfast table by the time Lily went down for breakfast. She had been so exhausted from the previous day’s events that she had decided to sleep in an extra hour. Her maid had brought word from the stable hand that her horse was doing just fine after the young man had followed Julian’s instructions.
Julian.